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+--- Thread: Redhawk Caldera Bring that summer when I first saw you (/showthread.php?tid=17982)
Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - September 26, 2016
Road-weary, Shrike crossed over the pack borders at a relaxed albeit somewhat defeated walk, drifting through the short shrubs that dotted the landscape as the shadows grew long on that sunny autumn evening. His search had continued in much the same fashion as it did most days- he found no trace of the scent belonging to Lucy or her abductor, and he had been gone for three days searching, returning only at sundown on the third day. He was quite a traveller, but his joints ached and he felt ready to go home to his den, crawl in and have a good snooze that he felt he was entitled to have. But with the sun on his shoulders, and his den in a shaded place, he decided to take advantage of the warmth while it lasted and headed for the Rendezvous site.
Once there, he found himself a sunny patch of dusty ground, scrabbled a few small pebbles out of the way with one paw, circled thrice and lay down. He felt safe there, knowing he was well within the pack's borders, and as far as he knew, there weren't any dangerous wolves in the pack that might hurt him while he had a little rest in the sunshine. Laying flat on his side and shielded almost completely from sight by short, yellow-leaved bushes, Shrike put his head down on the warm earth, closed his eyes, and finally gave himself a bit of downtime.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Elwood - September 29, 2016
Elwood hated patrolling the borders. He couldn't keep his eyes from roving the wilderness beyond, searching for any sign of Finley or Lucy -- and there never was. It was disheartening on a level that he couldn't describe, so while he still fulfilled his duties as necessary, he spent a much larger chunk of his time lingering around the rendezvous site. In fact, that's what he was doing at present; mindlessly meandering across the gently rolling landscape.
He very nearly ran right into Shrike, and would've stepped on the other wolf had he not been partially obscured by the scrubby leaves and branches of a small bush. Elwood stopped short and made to skirt around it when he spotted his packmate's grey fur beneath the foliage and inhaled, identifying Shrike quickly. His stomach dropped for no real reason and he winced.
Clearing his throat, he shuffled back a few paces and said, "Sorry. I just wanted to thank you for your help."
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - October 02, 2016
Shrike had just begun to drift off when he was alerted by the sound of a wolf, otherwise quite soft-footed, as they side-stepped to avoid him. He opened his eyes and peeled himself off the ground, catching sight of a fairly downtrodden and somewhat bashful looking Elwood, and sat himself up a bit more properly, both front elbows clicking slightly as he did so with brisk snaps. Too much time roving, he figured, certainly not due to age. He closed his eyes and shook his head, turning his face away as a yawn overtook him and he didn't exactly want to yawn right in his superior's face. "S'ok," He said, shaking his head slightly and blinking to clear his vision.
Elwood had an aged expression about his features, one Shrike knew too well came from the stress of losing his young daughter. He felt gulty, as he had not yet been able to find Lucy, or any trail of her. He wasn't quite sure what to say to Elwood, given that he rarely spoke much more than business with him or other wolves in the pack, save perhaps for Sassafras and maybe Sasha. "Wish I could do more." He said, and sighed. "Been to a couple packs, spreading the word." He said, feeling he might as well update Elwood on his success. "Blackfeather Woods is missing a girl, month older than Lucy; also black fur, her name's Qilaq." He said, and shook his head. "Didn't think the world was so full of...This." He would have said 'monsters,' but he did not like to imply that it was a monster that took Lucy. A deranged wolf, maybe, one that had a blind need to raise a young one, who knew. Hopefully nothing like the black female wolf that had killed young Peter. "Gonna keep looking. More packs to visit." He said. "Gonna find her." He said affirmatively.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Elwood - October 05, 2016
When it became apparent that Shrike didn't mind the interruption to his nap, Elwood rocked back gently onto his haunches. His shoulders felt heavy, as though a physical weight had settled on them. Sometimes he was able to stop himself from worrying about Lucy, at least for a short while, but seeing Shrike only reminded him of their failures.
His ears pricked and then fell as Shrike began to describe his most recent searches, including a visit to Blackfeather Woods, among other packs. He was disheartened to hear that another pup was missing and his expression darkened as Shrike shook his head. It was like an epidemic, and it scared him. Peter and Lucy weren't the only children that had been abducted.
"I didn't think so either," he murmured softly, agreeing that the world wasn't quite what it seemed, then Shrike spoke with confidence that Elwood himself didn't feel. He wanted to believe that they would find Lucy, but she could have been anywhere. At least he knew now that other wolves would be keeping an eye out for her, as well as for Qilaq from Blackfeather Woods. "Where do you plan to head next?" he asked, mostly out of curiosity but also so that he could keep tabs. He wished he knew where Finley was, but maybe Shrike would run into her during his own exploration.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - October 13, 2016
"Same area." Shrike answered, when Elwood asked him of his plans. Of course, Shrike didn't know of any other packs, but would discover them as he roved. Instead, all he had to offer for information was direction. "West of here. Gonna search them grounds first." He said. He was aware that other wolves, such as Elwood and Finley were out searching for Lucy, and that perhaps they'd been searching in the same area, but he'd felt fairly assured that in heading in that direction- the way the kidnapper's tracks had originally left the pack- they would stand a good shot at finding something- any sort of trace or tip from the local packs in that area.
He was quiet for a moment, and his ears turned back. He wasn't always the most sensitive wolf, but he wanted to show some sort of support, emotionally, even though his forte was just going out and doing something about any given problem. "You...Ok?" He asked quietly, his voice timid when it came to asking another man how he felt. "Finley and Eljay?" He asked, voice quieter still, as though he expected bad news. Of course, he couldn't expect for Elwood to say that they were fine...But he felt it was important to ask, anyway. He wanted Elwood to know that he cared, even though he was fairly sure his actions were already doing just that.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Elwood - October 14, 2016
Elwood nodded. Shrike's plan sounded as good as any; at this point, no one had any idea where Lucy had gone. For all they knew, the "monster" could have carried her halfway across the wilds by now. Or she could be right under their nose -- although that seemed doubtful, considering how many wolves were searching for her and scouring each territory.
Shrike softened slightly then, asking a question that was less business-oriented. Elwood pulled his lips into a small, tight smile, appreciating the gesture from his packmate. "Well, with Finley out looking for Lucy herself, Eljay is kind of a mess. But I think taking care of Lagan and Liffey helps to keep his mind off of things, at least a little bit," he said. He paused, then added, "And I'm hanging in there." There wasn't much else he could say; he missed his daughter and wife dearly, and felt incredibly helpless, but time marched on regardless of Elwood's emotional state.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - October 15, 2016
Shrike frowned softly, upset to hear that Eljay was not doing well in Finley's absence. The young boy was one Shrike knew would shape up to be a great packmate- he was sensitive, yes, but that made him empathetic and would temper any anger the boy might have. His sensitivity would make him aware of how others felt, and likely make him a useful in negotiations. He hadn't spent much time with the promising young lad, but he knew that would change with time.
Could I spend some time with him?" Shrike asked. "Either with him, Lagan and Liffey, or maybe out around the borders. He's gonna be a gooder when he grows up. Need to know him better." Shrike said. He could work with Eljay on his tracking skills perhaps, and his skills when it came to confronting strange wolves at the border. Hopefully it would help Elwood manage better too, if he had someone else trying to distract Eljay from his woes.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Elwood - October 15, 2016
Shrike's question was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Elwood's brows raised in brief surprise, though his expression quickly softened. He appreciated the offer; Eljay, Liffey, and Lagan were lucky to be a part of a close-knit family, even though many of their kin were not related to them by blood. Peregrine and Fox served as their aunt and uncle, and the firebirds were essentially their cousins. The other members of the pack had been somewhat transient in nature over the years, but Shrike seemed to be a permanent fixture, and Elwood was glad to have him offer to get to know Eljay.
"That would be great," he answered with an emphatic nod of his head. Truly, Shrike didn't know how much that meant to him. Eljay had his father and Peregrine as strong male role models, but Elwood believed that he needed something more -- another adult who believed in him, and not just because they were family. "I think Eljay would really like that. He's a bit timid when it comes to patrolling, but he's braver than he used to be," he added.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - October 17, 2016
"Kid's a gooder," Shrike repeated softly, with a gentle nod when Elwood took to the idea of him showing the boy around. Not that Shrike had much experience tagging along with younger wolves, or showing them the ropes, or raising them or caring for them- but Eljay was just old enough that he felt he didn't have to worry about screwing the boy up royally, teaching him something he'd regret, or getting ratted out to the kid's parents for saying something foul. Eljay was old enough now that anything Shrike did wrong wouldn't destroy the boy's outlook on life, so he figured this was the safest way to transition into the role of someone who might possibly someday maybe be able to take care of a pup, maybe two, if he was on a really good day.
But that was still to be seen.
"Maybe just do some hunting. Get to know him better before taking him around the borders. Dun want to freak him out." He said. Of course, if Eljay was already tentative about going near the borders, if Shrike messed up, that'd be the end of his days doing anything with younger wolves.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Elwood - October 18, 2016
Elwood smiled. "He is a good kid," he agreed quietly. It sounded like Shrike had all the right ideas -- everyone knew that the eldest Blackthorn child could be a little skittish, so it would likely take some time for him to warm up to someone he didn't know. And while Elwood doubted that Eljay would ever be particularly adventurous, perhaps spending time with someone like Shrike would help to build his confidence.
"That's a good idea," he affirmed, growing to like the concept more and more. "He likes hunting and he's pretty good at it, but he doesn't think he is. He's always been self-doubting," he confided in the next breath with a shrug of his shoulders. Then, realizing that he was likely keeping Shrike from a much-needed nap with his rambling, he ducked his head slightly and said, "I should let you rest." He stood, preparing himself to depart, feeling deeply appreciative of his packmate.
RE: Bring that summer when I first saw you - Shrike Redleaf - October 30, 2016
Shrike nodded in agreement and understanding when Elwood mentioned that Eljay did not have the greatest amount of confidence. Shrike couldn't blame him- the boy had taken it extremely hard when Peter had been murdered, and had been left with little time to cope, what with Lucy being stolen away, and the absence of his mother as Finley searched for her daughter. He thought he could possibly do something to give the boy a bit of his confidence back, and help him adjust better. It seemed to Shrike that Eljay might be a bit too engulfed with his family's losses, rather than meeting and bonding with other pack members, and even other wolves outside the pack. He would do whatever he could to help Eljay adjust and move forward.
As if on cue, Shrike yawned when Elwood offered to let him be. He smiled sheepishly, and nodded. "Thanks Elwood." He said, and stretched, resuming his position on the ground as he had been before. "You need something- let me know." He offered tentatively, though it was likely that Elwood already knew that. What he meant was that he would try to support the family emotionally as much as he was capable of doing so, even though he was awkward and it made him slightly uncomfortable. Yawning one more time, he flattened himself against the ground, closed his eyes, and drifted off into a quiet slumber.